Let Stalin prove his position in DMK first, says Jayakumar

Leading the charge, Minister D Jayakumar said most of the DMK MLAs did not want fresh elections. Only a few veteran leaders of the DMK wanted elections while most of the new comers were opposed to it, Jayakumar claimed and said Stalin himself would not have majority support among the DMK MLAs. Maintaining that the sedition cases against rival AIADMK (Amma) leader TTV Dinakaran were within the framework of the law, Jayakumar said those who acted within the bounds of law need not fear.

Supporting Jayakumar’s contention that the government would not fall, Co-operative minister Sellur K Raju said the feud in the AIADMK could be compared to a quarrel among brothers. The problems among brothers would be sorted out soon, he declared.

Addressing the media on the sidelines of a function in the city, Handloom Minister OS Manian said Stalin was attacking the government since he could not become the Chief Minister. He recalled that Karunanidhi led a minority government and added that Stalin could not climb up the power ladder as he did not have leadership qualities. Joining his colleague Revenue Minister RB Udhayakumar stated that Stalin’s moves against the government failed and added that even his father and DMK chief M Karunanidhi was not able to topple the government.

The ministers were replying to the prediction of Stalin that the state government would fall in a few days, since it did not have the majority in the Assembly. The Leader of Opposition had been asking the government to face a floor test and his party filed a petition in the Madras High Court seeking a direction to the Governor to order a floor test.